Gravity-carrier.



P. E. MOORE.

GRAVITY CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MA].27,1909.-

' Ptented June 4,1912.

/ an E fis-j/EEZQEWi INVENTOR FRANK E. CORE.

BY ffi 'e A'I'TQRNEYS.

wn'NEs as UNITED, sTAT s PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. MOORE, or s'r. rAUL, MINNESOTA, Ass'IGNon T MATHEWS GRAVITY GAB- nrnn COMPANY, or sr. PAUL, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION or MINNESOTA.

- GRAVITY-CARRIER.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK E. Moonn, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvenals which will admit of the rapid assem bling of the parts without the necessityot prolliding for accurate fitting or adjust ments. v

A further object isvto provide a carrier of simple, economical construction and one which will be very durable for the purpose designed and from which one or more rollers can be easily and quickly removed without. disturbing the others.

A further object is to provide a carrier capable of transporting lumber, barrels placed on end, and other merchandise.

My invention consists generally of various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, Figure 1 is a plan View of a gravity carrier, embodying my in- ,vention, and particularly adapted for handling lumber, Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional view illustrating the manner of mounting the rollers, Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of connecting the sections of the carrier together, Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing the joints formed at the ends of the carrier and sections, and also illustrating in detail the lockingbar which holds the rollers in place in the carrier rails.

In the drawing, 2, represents the outer side rails of the carrier and 3 the middle rail arranged in parallel relation with one another, the middle rail to be equally spaced from the outer ones. Cross bars 4 have up wardly turned ends 5 bolted to the side rails 2 and secured, to the middle rail by brackets 6; diagonally arranged braces 7 are secured to the cross bars 4 and serve to strengthen the carrier and prevent twisting and rack ing of the same. The rails and braces are preferably made of ,bar metal of suitable Specification of Ietters Iatent.

' "Patented June 4, 1912. I

I Application filed March 27, 1909. Serial No. 486,233.

weight and in sections of suitable length for convenience in handling,-and each outer rail is provlded with a series of notches 8 in their upper edges at intervals and the middle rail 3 has holes 9 therein to receive the inner ends of shafts 10 whose outer ends are provided with reduced portions 11 which slip into the notches 8, the shoulders formed on each side'of said reduced portion serving to hold each shaft against longitudinal movement. Each shaft-has a head 12 on its outer end that is adapted to slip intoa slot 13 provided in a lock bar 14 which is se- "cured. to the side rails 2 by bolts 15. The

Sl0tSl3 are of sutficient length to insure the entrance of the heads 12 therein without close fitting or adjustment, and, when the. bars are secured in place, the outer ends of the shafts cannot slip accidentally out of the notches and interfere withthe movement of the rollers thereon. To assemble the parts, the inner ends of the shafts are thrust into the holes 9, the bearing being sufliciently' loose therein to allow such inser tion, while the outer ends of the shafts are dropped into the notches of the side rails. After the rollers are inserted, the bars 14 hereinbefore stated. This same construction may be used in a carrier having side rails only, the middle one being omitted, in which case the journals at both ends of the rollers will drop into the notches 8 of the side rails and be held therein by thelocking bars,-as shown in Fig. 8, instead of having only their outer ends 'so mounted, as in the three rail carrier. The locking bars and the slots therein dispense entirely with the lock nuts on the ends of the journals and the slots allow the bars to be easily fitted to the sides of the rails, even though there is a slight variation in the distance between the ends of the journals. If the locking bars are secured to the side rails by bolts 15, as

dent-that these holes would have to be accuratelyspaced apart, or the distan'cebetween the notches of the side railsor the journals of the rollers would have; to be accurately perfect register of determined to obtaina the holes in the barsl with the. ends of the journals. This might be done in some instances and still'efiect. a considerable saving is i in labor and expense from the use of the I above referred to, the bearings of the shafts at their inner ends are in-the rear slightly which form. apart of the the hubson the shaft 10 renders the roller lock nuts, but I prefer to providethe bars I with elongated slots so that accurate fitting of the parts will be unnecessary. In the two-rail carrier, the rollers will generally be or other bulky merchandise.

As-shown in Fig. 1, the shafts are in staggered relation to one-another sothat those on one side of the middle rail .of the carrier will not, in any 'wayfint'erfere with those on the other side, and, as providedin the patent of the bearings ofthe outer; ends so that the "merchandise moving over the carrier will work toward the center. I prefer, however, to arrange-the inner ends .of the shafts on the same level as theirv outer ends, so' that I the middle portion of the carrier will not be elevated above the sides or depressed below the sides. v

At each end of the shaft 10 I prefer hubs 16 having long bearing surfaces on the shaft and loosely mounted thereon. and contact ing at their outer ends with the middle and side rails. These hubs have annular grooves 17 therein to receive the bearing balls 18, ball-bearing 19 that is provided within each end of the anti-friction roller 20 whereon-the merchandisc travels. The long bearing surfaces of more regular and uniform in its'revolution and 'I find that a bearing constructed in this ,way will be far more durable, than the ishort bearing or one that is secured to the shaft itself. The hubs turn slightly on. the shaft and wear uniformly and a bearing constructed in this way is far more efficient for this purposefthan arigid sup ort for the .45 bearingballs would be.

Furt ermore, the end of the hubs contact withthe rails of the carrier and prevent endwise movement of the roller and shaf convenient assembling of the sections to set up the carrier, or their separatiom when the carrier 1s to be taken apart.

I claim .as my invention: 1 1. A gravity'carrier comprising side and middle rails, rollers having journals fitting within notchesprovided in said side rails and locking bars extending lengthwise of i said side rails and having slotstherein to receive the journals of-said rollers.

2. In a carrier, side, rails having notches therein, rollers having journals to enter said notches and locking bars having slots to receive the outer ends of said journals.

3. A carrier comprising side rails having notched edges, rollers having journals fitting within said notches, said journals projeoting outwardly beyond said-side rails, and

slotted bars adapted to receive the projecting ends of said journals, said slots being sufficiently long to compensate for variation in the spacing of the notches in saidrails.

4. A-gravity carrier comprisingside rails having bearings open at; the top thereon, rollers having journals fitting within said bearings and locking fbars having slots to receive said journals, said slots being sufficiently Ion to compensate for any variation in the spacing of the bearings on said rails. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of March 1909.

FRANK E. MOORE.

itness'esi C. G. Hanson, 'Rmmnn PAU 

